Students demonstrate an understanding of Natural Selection/ evolution by…
8a illustrating that when an environment changes, the survival advantage /disadvantage of some characteristics may change.
8b distinguish between microevolution (on small scale within a single population –e.g., change in gene frequency within a population) and macroevolution (on a scale that transcends boundaries of a single species – e.g., diversity of all beetle species within the order of insects) and explain how macroevolution accounts for speciation and extinction.
8c recognizing patterns in molecular and fossil evidence, to provide a scientific explanation for Natural Selection and its evolutionary consequences (e.g. survival, adaptation).
Students demonstrate an understanding of classification of organisms by …
8d using data or models (charts, diagrams, table, narratives etc.) to analyze how organisms are organized into a hierarchy of groups and subgroups based on evolutionary relationships. (e.g. creating a taxonomic key to organize a given set of examples).
What do these GSEs mean? What subtopics do students need to address to understand these GSEs?
History of Life
Intelligent Design V. Science
Geological Time Scales & Radiometric Dating
Mass Extinctions
Evidence in Fossil Records
Origin of Species
Spontaneous generations
Biogenesis
Charles Darwin, aka “The Father of Evolution” & Natural Selection
Lamarck’s of Theory of Evolution
Genetic Equilibrium
Genetic Drift
Stabilizing Selection
Directional Selection
Disruptive Selection
Speciation
Geographic isolation
Reproductive isolation
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Adaptive radiation
Divergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Natural Selection
Sexual Selection
Embryology
Comparative Anatomy
Homologous structures
Analogous structure
Vestigial structures
Molecular evolution
Adaptations
Fossil Records
Morphology
Polymorphism
·Phylogeny
Cladograms
Shared Derived Characteristics
Evo-Devo
What ideas to students need to understand before they can address the topics described above?
Genetics, Mutuation and Heredity
Scientific Theories
Differientation between individual, species, population, ecosystems
Basic human anatomy
What misconceptions are students likely to have about these topics?
Evolution denies the existance of God (Who created this world)
Evolution is a process of the past and it is not ongoing
Evolution can evidenced in the life time of one organism
Evolution provides input on the origin of life opposed to the origin of species
Natural Selection occurs on the individual level opposed to on a population
The term "Survival of the Fittest" defines Evolution
Structures we see in animals are all adaptive or perfectly adapted (Some things are simply there for structure and not purpose)
When an organism evolves, the thing/organism it evolves from dies or is no longer relevant
Evolution does not necessarily produce new species
Evolution started or was recognized by Charles Darwin (Evolution occurred before him)
Linneaus Binominal Nomenclature classifies organisms by evolutionary events (It does not but is rather hierarchial)
Once a Species goes extinct, they do not come back
Genetics was discovered by Mendel before Darwin published "Origin of Species"
Evolution has never been observed
Evolution is only theory and has never been proven
There are no intermediate Fossil forms
Evolution occurred "By chance"
Natural Selection involved organisms trying to adapt and gives organisms what they Need to survive
Evolution from Sources Berthelsen, B. (1999). Students Naïve Conceptions in Life Science. MSTA Journal, 44(1) (Spring’99), pp. 13-19. http://www.msta-mich.org
Students have difficulty relating an individuals adaptation to environment with changes in species phenotypes over long period of time due to selection.
Students believe that transmitted characteristics are acquired during the life time of the animal.
Individuals can adapt to a changing environment. These adaptations are heritable.
What phenomena and representations help students understand these topics?
8a illustrating that when an environment changes, the survival advantage /disadvantage of some characteristics may change.
8b distinguish between microevolution (on small scale within a single population –e.g., change in gene frequency within a population) and macroevolution (on a scale that transcends boundaries of a single species – e.g., diversity of all beetle species within the order of insects) and explain how macroevolution accounts for speciation and extinction.
8c recognizing patterns in molecular and fossil evidence, to provide a scientific explanation for Natural Selection and its evolutionary consequences (e.g. survival, adaptation).
Students demonstrate an understanding of classification of organisms by …
8d using data or models (charts, diagrams, table, narratives etc.) to analyze how organisms are organized into a hierarchy of groups and subgroups based on evolutionary relationships. (e.g. creating a taxonomic key to organize a given set of examples).
What do these GSEs mean? What subtopics do students need to address to understand these GSEs?
What ideas to students need to understand before they can address the topics described above?
What misconceptions are students likely to have about these topics?
Evolution from Sources
Berthelsen, B. (1999). Students Naïve Conceptions in Life Science. MSTA Journal, 44(1) (Spring’99), pp. 13-19. http://www.msta-mich.org
What phenomena and representations help students understand these topics?